Questions, Ask God

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Questions, Ask God

“Are you asking among yourselves what I meant?” Jesus asked this question of his disciples on one of the last occasions he was with all of them (John 16:19 NLT). His followers heard Jesus’ teaching that night, but the essence of what he said didn’t saturate their understanding.

Even though Jesus was in their midst, they chose to ferry their questions back and forth between themselves rather than ask Jesus. Their wonderings could have opened the door to wandering.

Bible studies, Christian literature, one-on-one conversations, lectures and sermons are all ways to increase knowledge about God. The Bible is a God-encyclopedia. But sometimes I don’t comprehend what I read there. The white-space margins in my Bible are littered with question marks.

How is one to get answers to Bible-margin-questions or big question marks in life? Most often, I resort to talking with friends who are on the same journey. Could I be making the same mistake the disciples made?

Even with Jesus sitting at the same table, they debated the intricacies of his message. They ignored the available teacher in their presence.

Jesus, knowing that he would soon be back with the Father in heaven, gave instructions for seeking wisdom after he returned to his first home. “You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy” (16:24).

On that same night, Jesus also talked about The Comforter, the Holy Spirit who would “convince the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment,” and he named the prominent problem in the world. “The world’s sin is unbelief in me” (John 16:8, 9).

While the counsel of godly people is admirable and advisable, the best route for clear answers is a talk with the master of all languages, the Master Theologian. For answers to questions about life, earth, blue skies above and the heavens beyond, God is the ultimate information place.

Questions are a learning tool. Not all of our questions will be answered because God’s thoughts are higher than mans’ thoughts. But there is much that God planned for his creation to understand.

Go to God in Jesus’ name through prayer. Then, as the old gospel hymn says, “I may have doubts and fears” but “just a little talk with Jesus makes it right.”

Jesus’ question reverberates into 2009. “Are you asking among yourselves what I meant?”

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